


Shut Up and Dance With Me

by jordypordy



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Confession, Devola and Popola are alive because reasons, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Love Bites, Makeouts, Post Ending E, Sexual Tension, dance fic, implied late game spoilers, little bit of angst but mostly fluff, these tags make it seem like a smut fic I promise it’s not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jordypordy/pseuds/jordypordy
Summary: Words aren’t the only way to tell someone how you feel about them.
Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 55
Collections: Dance Fic





	Shut Up and Dance With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to the degenerates of the Stinky Horny, Dumb and Also Horny Club.

It was his first solo mission since rebooting almost two months ago. It’s what he was  _ literally _ made for- to go and scout and collect data. Having a partner was usually nothing more than a hindrance. Entering an area that had been previously swarmed with enemies, such as the untouched portion of the city he was in right now, with a partner would be detrimental in the data collection process as the risk of having his position exposed was significantly higher. Indeed, being alone was only optimal for a Scanner on a mission.

But yet, 9S couldn’t ignore the lingering sense of emptiness caused by the lack of his partner by his side. Ever since… everything happened, 2B had always been with him.  _ Always _ . It was almost like they were attached at the hip, as he had overheard one resistance member describe it. Hell, it had been the two of them that had cleared out this area of hostile machines! But now it was just him, alone with his thoughts.

“Analysis: the large building to the northeast is structurally sound. Proposal: investigate as a potential location to set up a satellite camp.”

Okay, so he wasn’t entirely alone. 

“Yeah, yeah.” 9S dismissed his pod with a wave of his hand, glancing in the general direction that his support unit had indicated. Ah, there it was- gothic in its design and made of stone, it was a stark contrast to the surrounding cityscape. No wonder it was sound, it had probably been ancient even before humanity disappeared, like the castle in the forest zone. 

With the grace one would expect from an ex-YoRHa soldier, the android leaped from rooftop to rooftop, only occasionally stopping to rummage through scrap heaps or piles of debris in a search for spare parts. It was his innate Scanner curiosity, yes, but it was also a desperate attempt on his part to get 2B out of his damn head.

When Anemone had suggested that 9S scout by himself, 2B’s “I’ll go with him,” was immediate. It wasn’t surprising, but it was a bit embarrassing how she always insisted on being with him. Not that he minded of course, in fact it was just the opposite. She was beautiful and strong and protective and graceful and smart and, in her own way, funny--

Pod 153 darted in front of him as 9S’s foot hit air instead of cement roof like he had expected. With a yelp, he fell forward and was caught by his faithful companion. “Proposal:,” if Pod 153 could sound exasperated there was no doubt in his mind its voice would have been dripping with it, “unit 9S should pay more attention to his surroundings.”

Grumbling under his breath, 9S thanked the pod for the assist as it floated upward, straightening the poor boy out until he was planted firmly on the ground again. 

The worst part of the previous thirty or so seconds was that it wasn’t even the first time he had carelessly put himself in danger thinking about or looking at 2B. Cringing, he realized that staring was probably a more appropriate word. But he couldn’t help himself! She was absolutely  _ radiant  _ and having her back in his life after losing her just exemplified these weird feelings he’s always harbored towards her.

A ledge was coming up, something he was glad he noticed. A quick jump later and he was on his way.

“Good job.” His pod congratulated him. 9S scoffed and rolled his eyes.

2B had fought back against Anemone’s instance to send 9S by himself, insisting she would be of help to him. Unfortunately, the resistance camp leader had already arranged for 2B and A2 to rendezvous with the resistance camp in the forest zone. Apparently, a large pack of very aggressive wolves had migrated to the area from the desert. Poor 2B had been absolutely deflated at the concise, almost calculated rebuttal. Begrudgingly, understanding that the invaders not only posed a threat to androids but to Pascal’s newly reformed village and the local ecosystem, she accepted her job.

It took what felt like hours of the ex-YoRHa androids talking amongst each other before 2B finally felt moderately okay with sending 9S off on his own. It was concerning, and a bit scary if 9S was being honest, to see her so worried about him. He couldn’t blame her, though. He’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t worried sick about her and her own mission, even if she was with A2. Their pods still exchanged information with each other, so if anything happened to her 042 would alert 153 immediately so 9S would know, but there was still a tight knot of uneasiness and anxiety in his stomach.

After all, the last time they had been separated…

Scowling, 9S jumped from the roof of a shorter building onto the overgrown, soft grass below. Her being with A2 was yet another reason for that knot to tighten. 

The unusual building Pod 153 had alerted him to was close enough now that walking on street level was more than a sufficient way of transportation- and less dangerous if his earlier blunder was anything to go by. As he walked, he looked at the remnants of the machine lifeforms he and 2B had disposed of just a few days earlier with pride. Of course, with the network being destroyed many machines had chosen a life of peace and companionship with their former tormentors. But others, such as the ones that were now in pieces around 9S, had chosen to remain as hostile with grudges and a need for revenge swelling within them. It was unfortunate to the post war treaty measures but, in a way, 9S appreciated the bumps in the road. Too much peace can be horrifically boring and being able to wring his sword through metal, tear through circuitry, and watch as the machines self destructed under his hand was still satisfying. Even more so when 2B was by his side- the way they synchronized their movements was something that had to be seen to be believed.

What 9S assumed to be the main entrance entrance was inaccessible, having been overgrown with thick roots from a nearby tree that had grown to be exceptionally large. “Hm, doesn’t look like we can get in this way,” he mused aloud as he began to circle around to the back of the building. Just as he had thought, another entrance was visible and clear of obstacles.

Pushing the heavy, metal double doors open, 9S commanded Pod 153 to turn on its flashlight as he was met with pitch blackness. He coughed and sneezed as dust, undisturbed for centuries, kicked up into the air. Oddly, he noted, the usual smell of mildew and mold was absent.

Not knowing if any hostiles lingered in the area after the culling he and 2B had done earlier in the week, he pulled the doors he had just opened closed. Taking a few moments to look around with his light source, 9S deduced that he was in a storage room of some sort. Tables, chairs, and boxes full of ancient remnants of humanity were strewn all about the floor. He asked his pod to mark down the coordinates of the building- he was dying to go digging for treasures but now was not the time. 

Traversing through the litter on the floor, he made his way to another room. This room had windows adorned to the wall, allowing natural sunlight to filter in. This room was also used for storage, but of a different type. Pod 153 switched its light off as 9S approached the clothing that stood upright, displayed on mannequins. Upon closer inspection, they all appeared to be dresses and two piece suits wrapped in plastic. The reason for the plastic was beyond the android’s understanding, but he felt himself drawn to the articles of clothing. The dresses in particular were much more elegant and full of volume than the dresses YoRHa units wore in the past.

“Weird, I wonder what purpose these types of clothes served?” He looked at a deep purple suit in bewilderment. Its collar came down to a V-shape that would have exposed the chest of whoever wore it and it sparkled and glimmered in the sunlight. There was no way it was practical.

“Humans often wore over the top clothing at social gatherings,” Pod 153 explained as 9S continued to observe the strange articles.

“But why?”

“Clothing such as these were often perceived as beautiful or handsome and were used to exemplify the physical characteristics of the wearer.”

“Humans sure were strange…” 9S’s voice trailed as one dress in particular caught his attention. It was stark black, like the uniform he was wearing, but it was speckled with a flurry of white starting with a cluster of white at the breast. The white fluttered down, spreading apart and trailing to the left side all the way down to the dress’s hem. Taking a closer look, he realized it wasn’t just a white flair- it was white flowers trailing down a vine in a way that resembled the stars in the vastness of space. Perhaps they were Lunar Tears, they certainly reminded him of the flower of wishes, but it was hard to tell. 

_ “To exemplify the physical characteristics of the wearer” _ … 2B would certainly look elegant in it, stunning even. With a Lunar Tear adorned in her hair, it would be almost like this dress was made for her. Her arms, glistening with finely toned muscles, would be in full display with the dress’s lack of sleeves. The cut of the bust was strapless and low, revealing more skin than 2B would ever have exposed normally. In fact it was so low that--

9S’s face heated up and he forced himself to look away from the dress, as to dispel the immoral thoughts that had crept up on him. Ignoring Pod 153’s announcement of unusual vital signs, he continued forward.

He almost gasped as he entered the next room- it was ginormous. Eyes darting all over the place, it was a room of almost overwhelming beauty. The first thing he noticed was an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, somehow completely undamaged after thousands of years. Large windows lined the walls, and the sunlight coming through hit the chandelier in just a way for it to refract and sparkle around the entire room. The floor, also somehow perfectly preserved, was beautifully stained dark wood that stood to contrast lighter colors of the wall. Hallways branched from the sides with arches of stone forming the perimeter of the main room. Everything, from the arches to the details on the walls and ceiling, was immaculately carved and sculpted. It was if 9S had walked into a piece of art.

“Woah…” his breath echoed around him as he walked to the center of the room. “This is incredible. So well preserved too!” It was rare for buildings of the Old World to be standing in such a pristine state and he was glad that of all the buildings he had explored, it was this one that seemed untouched by both time and machines.

“What could a room like this have been used for?” It was large, that was for sure, but not large enough to home a new satellite camp. What did the humans use it for?

“Analysis: this is what is known as a ‘ballroom’,” Pod 153 flew around the room, no doubt recording and taking pictures for the sake of data collection, “large masses of humans would gather here for celebrations. Ballrooms were often used to host formal dances. Hypothesis: the garments 9S found earlier were worn by humans during such dances.”

Dance? Was that a human behavior he wasn’t aware of? “Pod, what’s a dance?”

“The word ‘dance’ refers to a human activity in which they would listen to music and move their bodies to the rhythm and beat. Dancing was often done as a form socializing.”

Moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music? 9S would often nod his head or tap his foot when he had time to listen to the songs humanity had left behind- is that what his pod was referring to?

“Does archival footage exist?”

“Yes.”

“Show it.”

Pod 153 floated back down to eye level, affirming 9S’s request. From its red antenna affixed to its top, it projected a holoscreen. Displayed upon it was a group of humans separated into pairs. They held each other close as their bodies twirled and spun in time to the slow music that played. The women’s dresses flowed with their every movement, creating waves and ribbons of colors as the pairs circled around one another. Each step they took, each change of position of the hands appeared pre planned but also entirely natural, as if it was something they had been born being able to do.

The clip ended and another one started to play. This time it was just two humans- two men- dancing in a wildly different way than the groups he had just watched. Once again, they would hold each other close but there was something more sensual and intimate in the way they conducted themselves. Their movements were fast and frenzied, constantly changing positions with each other in perfectly coordinated steps. At one point, one of the men picked up the other and spun him around in an impressive display of strength and control. 

9S watched more and more footage of humans dancing, completely entranced. The fast dances, the slow dances. The intimate dances, the non-intimate dances. Dances with one person and dances with more than one. It was captivating. It was beautiful. It reminded him of the way 2B moves with such grace in the heat of battle. 

It was something he desperately wanted to do himself. He wanted to come back to this building, to this ballroom, and dance with the flow and elegance of the humans before him. He wanted to learn how to step and move with the confidence of those he had just watched. He wanted the music he listened to envelope him and spark inspiration, like those in the dances. 

For just the briefest of seconds, he wondered about where he should start his journey for information. Of course, Pod 153 had access to the entirety of YoRHa’s databases, but he needed in depth information. He needed a teacher.

And he knew exactly where to look.

* * *

All he had to do was follow the music and 9S knew that he would stumble upon Emil eventually. Today, he was speeding around the entrance to the old abandoned factory when his pod fire screeched him to a halt.

He couldn’t help but feel bad at Emil’s whimpers of pain as he approached, but they had been doing this for how long now? It was the kid’s own fault for not just stopping for customers.

“Oh hey, Nines!” Emil greeted 9S cheerfully. Him calling 9S “Nines” was new, but not unwelcome. He did wish 2B would eventually come around to it as well, but he was grateful that nickname was spreading nonetheless. “What can I do ya for today?”

Sitting down on an old piece of rubble, 9S waved a greeting back to Emil. “I’m actually not here to buy anything today.” He explained.

The disappointment in Emil’s voice was evident. “Oh, what’s up then?”

Chuckling under his breath at the salesman’s crestfallen mood, 9S replied. “I actually need to ask you something- something about humans.”

“Hmmm,” Emil hummed, “I don’t know how much help I’ll be but I’ll try my best!” That was something 9S loved about Emil, even in the face of uncertainty he was optimistic and willing to help the best he could.

“Do you know anything about dancing?” 9S got straight to the point.

“Dancing?” Emil sounded surprised. “Hmmm…” He hummed again and if he were capable of expressing himself, his face would have probably been pinched in concentration.

Silence fell between them and for a moment, and 9S was worried Emil wouldn’t be able to remember anything. Getting ready to stand and apologize for wasting his time, he was shocked when Emil shouted in recognition.

“Right! I do remember something!”

9S could hardly contain his excitement, leaning forward in his seat to soak up every word. “Yeah, what do you remember?”

“I remember...I remember playing the piano,” he started to recount wistfully, “and people- a lot of people!- would hold each other and dance around me. They were dancing to the song I was playing. Everyone was dressed up really nice. The women were beautiful and the men were so handsome. Everyone would have a great time.”

9S only had a vague idea about what a piano was, knowing only it was a musical instrument. He found it interesting that at one point in the past, Emil had been a capable musician but it ultimately wasn’t the information he was looking for. “Anything else?” He probed.

“There was a celebration in the desert. I was there with people I cared about. Everyone was happy and having a great time. Everyone was dancing!” Emil’s voice suddenly darkened as an air of sadness fell over him. “But then something happened… there was a lot of blood. Everyone got really sad and the dancing stopped.”

Well, that was a downer ending. And once again, not the information 9S was looking for.

“Ah… I see. Thank you Emil.”

“Not a problem, friend-o!” And just like that, Emil’s voice was chipper once again. “I hope I was able to answer your question!”

“Heh, I guess you did in a way.” 9S lied as he stood up. “I’ll see you later.” He began to walk away, his hand waving to signify his goodbye. As he started to walk back towards the general direction of the resistance camp, he heard Emil shout behind him.

“Tell 2B I say hi!”

* * *

Feeling defeated, 9S slumped into a chair resting in the shade of the camp. Emil had been a dead-end. God, what had he been thinking? Of course Emil wouldn’t be of any help, with his memories so scattered. And even if he had had a perfect recollection, what help would he have been? It’s not like he had legs- he couldn’t teach 9S even if he wanted to.

He felt incredibly silly. He was an android built from the ground up for military operations. Being able to do something trivial such as dancing was useless in the grand scheme of things, even if the war with the machines had reached its formal end. Cursing his innate curiosity for all things humanity, he prepared himself to give up on the faint glimmer of a dream.

“Why the long face?” A familiar voice caused him to lift his head. 

Two bright red, almost pink, mops of hair greeted him; Devola on the left with Popola on the right. Devola was grinning at him while Popola had a look of concern on her face, leading 9S to believe that she was the one to express her concern. “Ah, it’s nothing…”

Devola scoffed. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Ouch. Scrambling for a response, 9S rebuffed. “I just miss 2B is all.” It wasn’t a complete fib; she wasn’t scheduled to return to camp for another day or two and the settlement felt noticeably emptier without her in it. 

“That much is obvious. Now tell us what’s  _ really  _ bothering you.” Devola continued to prod.

Popola, as soft spoken as she was, sounded worried when she spoke. “It’s not good to hold things in you, know.”

9S chuckled. These two were unusually concerned about him all the time. Well, maybe not all that unusual considering how they watched him deteriorate in real time not too long ago. It’s like they were taking over they were always trying to protect him- like a pair of mothers or sisters.

“It’s stupid,” he mumbled. But as he spoke, he realized that the twin models were ancient. Maybe they would know something. “But, uh, I want to learn about dancing.”

Devola and Popola exchanged a glance. “Dancing?” Popola asked.

Suddenly, 9S felt very tiny. What a dumb thing for a former YoRHa soldier to say. “I stumbled across an old ballroom and Pod showed me footage of humans dancing.” The words fell out of his mouth, despite the color seeping into his face. “I asked Emil if he knew anything and he wasn’t much help. The whole thing was just so… so captivating. I just wanted to know what it’s like as all.” He laughed darkly. “But I guess that’s not possible.”

“You want to learn how to dance?” Devola asked. 9S nodded, a bit ashamed. 

Again, the twins exchanged a look, this time smiles creeping across their faces. Popola reached down and grabbed 9S’s wrist, pulling him to his feet. 9S was visibly confused causing Popola to giggle. “Follow me,” she instructed. 

9S didn’t have much of a choice as she began to pull him with strength he didn’t expect. 

She pulled him through the heart of the camp, right past Anemone. A look of confusion was plastered across her face before it melted away to bemusement when she saw 9S’s own bewilderment. “Don’t forget to report your findings about the cleared out area!” She called out after him. Right, 9S had been so absorbed in his own needs he had forgotten to report back to Anemone.

“Roger that!” He turned and shouted back while she was still within earshot. 

Popola continued to drag him further and further into the camp, not a single word escaping her lips. It wasn’t long before they were in an area away from everyone else. In fact, he wasn’t even sure they were technically even in the boundaries of the camp anymore. Sure, they were still surrounded by buildings but all signs of resistance activity, such as scrap metal and tarps strung up to act as shade, were absent. However, the ground was still well worn and there were a few concrete slabs set up in ways that lead 9S to believe they were makeshift chairs. He was thoroughly confused.

“About time you two showed up!” Devola’s unexpected voice nearly made 9S jump out of his skin. She walked out from a gutted building, holding a weird… thing in her hand. Made of wood, it sheened in the sunlight because of its well-maintained glossy finish. It was kind of weird and bulbous, curved almost like an 8 but with a long protrusion coming from the top. There were two almost thin, S-shaped holes one either side of the strings that traveled up the length of the object. In Devola’s other hand, she held some sort of stick. 9S’s confusion deepened even further. 

Popola let go of 9S’s wrist, only to grab it again and position it just above his head. She pulled himself closer to him as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder, causing him to flush a deep red. “You all tuned and everything?” Popola asked her sister.

“Of course.” Devola pulled up the weird thing and placed it under her chin, balancing it with the length of her arm.

“Wh-what’s going on?” 9S stammered.

“Just follow my lead.” Popola smiled reassuringly at him.

Bringing the stick up to the weird thing, Devola closed her eyes and began to run it along the strings. It was only then that 9S realized it was a musical instrument as a soft melody began to fill the air around them.

As the music flowed between them, Popola started to move. Caught off guard by the action, 9S stumbled forward causing the redhead to laugh. “It’s okay,” she reassured him, “take your time.” Realizing what was going on, 9S nodded and began to follow Popola’s footsteps. 

They moved slowly in a small box pattern, Popola leading him every step of the way. After a few moments, the box area they were stepping around grew larger as Popola began to pull him around the area. They moved in tandem, 9S occasionally falling behind or stepping too wide and far which would mess up their rhythm. Every time he did, he would be told it was okay and to just try again.

9S kept his eyes trained on his feet, only looking up at his instructor a few times. Every time he did, he noticed that she was mouthing something in time to the music her sister played, as if she was singing along.

The melody that Devola played was calm, soothing, slow and vaguely familiar. It put 9S at ease despite his heart pounding in his head. The way that Popola guided him was confident and practiced, giving 9S the impression that she had done this many times in the past. That would explain the well worn ground beneath his feet, at the very least. 

As the song progressed, 9S found himself growing more and more confident in following Popola’s movements. He would stumble or tangle their feet, but Popola never seemed annoyed or even laughed at his misfortune, instead offering him words of encouragement and praise.

9S could not remember the last time he had felt so at ease with himself. Outside of the battlefield, he could not remember being so focused on his own movements or the movements of another. He couldn’t the last time he had so much fun. 

The music, a song that 9S found himself enamored by, came to an end as he and Popola’s movements slowed to a stop. She beamed at him, clasping her hands together in excitement. “You did great!” 

Bashfully, he rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided eye contact. “Oh uh, thanks.”

“Not bad for a beginner.” Devola also praised him as she approached. The weird thing- the instrument- laid carefully on a slab on concrete. “You caught on pretty quick.”

“Where did you guys learn how to do all that?” He gestured towards the instrument and towards Popola.

“In the past, our model types were used as a source of entertainment.” Popola explained. “We know how to do a lot of things.” She smiled and blushed, as if she was embarrassed by her talents.

“Yeah,” Devola nodded, “we come here all the time to do just this.” 9S was tempted to ask why, but given the cold shoulder the other androids tend to give the twins the answer was kind of obvious.

“What’s that thing called?” 9S pointed to the musical instrument instead.

Devola glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, the violin? I guess you’d never had any reason to see one before.” She paused for a moment. “I have a whole armory of instruments, I was just in the mood for the violin today.”

“Right…” 9S’s voice trailed, not entirely understanding what she meant by being “in the mood”.

“So,” Devola draped her arm around his shoulder, “how’d you like it?”

“It was…” 9S struggled for the right word. Fun? Calming? Exhilarating? Exactly what he needed? “Amazing.” He finally settled on. 

“Good!” Popola’s hands fluttered together in little claps. “Are you interested in learning more?”

“Huh?”

“There are so many different ways to dance!” The excitement in Popola’s voice caught 9S off guard. Usually so quiet, he could tell this was something she was passionate about. “What we did just now was just one- the waltz.”

Right, 9S remembered the variety of movements he had seen in the archival footage. He smiled, knowing his eyes were alight with eagerness. “If you wouldn’t mind.” He downplayed his excitement. “I’d love to learn more.” He glanced at the violin, Emil’s recollection of playing the piano crossing his mind. “And to learn more about instruments too.” 

Devola slapped 9S between his shoulders, on the small of his back. “Atta boy! You remember the route to get here?” 9S made a vague noise of confirmation. “Good. Be back here tomorrow at 14:00.”

Excitement pulsed through his circuitry as he nodded in agreement. “I look forward to it!”

* * *

The twins weren’t lying when they said that there were many different ways to dance. There were so many styles that it made 9S’s head spin, but he loved learning about every single one of them. 

The slow and deliberate style of the waltz. The energetic and bouncy fun of the east coast swing. The cheeky and fast paced style of the cha cha. The drama of the tango. He wasn’t amazing at all of them, but each and every one of them was so intensely fun to perform that he didn’t care. With each lesson, he felt himself growing and getting better and better. It was an immensely rewarding experience.

He also learned  _ why  _ humans danced. There were as many reasons as there were dance styles, all of them fascinating. Humans danced in equal parts to celebrate and to mourn. They danced alone and in large groups, sometimes to perform for others and sometimes just for fun. There were humans who had no idea how to dance, but danced anyway and there were people who danced as a profession. The one that interested him the most, though, were the dances that expressed emotions. The emotion most often expressed this way, according to the twins, was a declaration of love.

9S was sure he only danced for fun, but the proposal of dancing to express his love… it made his stomach feel weird. 

He sat in the room he shared with 2B, no longer in his YoRHa issued uniform. Instead, he wore some plainclothes that the resistance members had cobbled together for the two of them. They were well worn and a bit large, but they were comfortable. They were definitely easier to dance in, that was for sure. 

He stood up and raised his arm, assuming the position for a simple waltz. Devola and Popola were out on a scavenging run and 2B had been gone for a few days to check on Pascal. She wouldn’t be back for a few more hours, so he had been practicing in the room all day. The anxiety he felt about 2B going off on her own was still intense, but he found that practicing helped to calm him down and distract him. It was like he was in his own little world where nothing bad could happen.

“Pod, play  _ Synch _ .” He requested. 

“Affirmative.” 

The gentle melody of what he had since learned was called  _ Song of the Ancients  _ played from the support unit. The twins had hundreds of songs in their memory files and had graciously agreed to transfer them to Pod 153 for 9S’s use. This version of the song had more layers to it, having vocals and a plethora of instruments (although he could only identify one that he  _ thought  _ might be a guitar of some sort). Popola had explained it’s called  _ Synch  _ as it was two versions of the song mixed together into one, something that 9S found interesting.

Dancing around the room, he hummed the now familiar song as he focused on his footwork and his form. Not having a partner made the whole thing rather interesting, but it wasn’t the first time he had danced by himself. 

He was so involved in practicing that he didn’t even hear the door to the room open.

“Oh, there you-- what are you doing?” 2B’s voice made 9S freeze in his tracks. As if it could read his mind, Pod 153 stopped playback of the song at the same time.

As quickly as he could, 9S lowered his arms and spun around, somehow hoping 2B hadn’t seen him waltzing. “Oh, hey 2B!” He greeted her awkwardly. “You’re back early!”

2B stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “Yeah, I found a moose…” She raised a brow at 9S, who was trying, but failing, to hide his embarrassment. “Did I… interrupt something?”

“Nope! Not at all!”

“But you had your hands up in the air-”

“I was just doing basic agility and movement training.” He answered too quickly. 

2B scoffed. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Dammit, she’s right. “I was… dancing.” 9S mumbled. He wasn’t sure why he was so mortified to be caught in the act, but he was.

“Dancing?”

“It’s.. it’s this thing humans used to do. They would listen to music and move their bodies to the rhythm of it…” The explanation felt absolutely ludacris as he said it aloud and he felt himself sinking lower into a shell.

“I...see.” 2B’s voice told him she didn’t fully understand.  
“Humans often danced in pairs.” Pod 042 spoke up. “Proposal: Unit 2B should dance with unit 9S.”

Dance? With 2B? “What-? No! No, no! Y-you don’t have to!” He stammered in a panic. Did he want to dance with 2B, to hold her close and watch her body as she moved with him?  _ Absolutely _ . Did he have the guts to admit it?  _ Absolutely not _ .

“Is it something you enjoy doing?” The question from 2B was unexpected. 

“Yes.” He admitted. “A lot, actually.”

He stiffened as she started towards him. “Well then,” she smiled, “I don’t see why not.”

9S still wasn’t used to 2B being like this. She was relaxed, not worrying about fighting or the mission. Not agonizing over the dreaded command to kill. Her smiles above all were the most beautiful change about her. A rare sight in the past, they were slowly becoming more common and every time he saw one, 9S’s breath would be taken away. 

“O-oh, okay.” It took all his will to not shake where he stood. “Um…” He reached for 2B’s hand, knowing she’d be able to feel his anxiety. Raising it to waltz position, 9S pulled her close to himself using his other arm. “J-just follow my lead.”

Pod 153 started to play  _ Synch  _ again as 9S started to move. Or at least,  _ tried  _ to move. At that very moment, it was as if his memory had been wiped clean. Form? Posture? Flow? Steps? What did any of those mean?

The lyrics of the song, sung in a long forgotten language, floated in the air.

_ “Kuwata tsunowo vralai _

_ Tsuriji pufuralekai” _

Bits and pieces of what he’d learned began to come back, but he was still stiff and robotic in his movements. The box movement was the easiest for beginners to do, hence why Popola had done it with him, so he defaulted to that. 

9S chanced a glance up at 2B and his heart skipped a beat at the soft smile she had on her face as she looked at him. “Are you doing okay?” He breathed. “Am I going too fast?”

She shook her. “You’re fine. You’re a good teacher.”

The compliment made 9S misstep and he fell backwards. 2B, with the instincts fitting of an android made for combat, leaned forward and caught him by the shoulders. “Ah, sorry!” 9S apologized for the blunder as they got back into position. The apology lingered in the air as they began to move again. 

The square they stepped in began to grow wider as 2B grew more comfortable following 9S and soon, he was guiding her around the room. He was still a nervous wreck, but feeling her warmth and her body nearly pressed against had a soothing effect on him.

She misstepped and her chest bumped against his. Her squeak of embarrassment was delightfully cute, as was the color that rose in her cheeks. 9S had no control of the small laugh that escaped him.

“What are you laughing at?” She huffed, knowing exactly what he found so humorous.

9S, in a burst of confidence, gripped her and spun the two of them around in a fluid motion. Reveling in the ways her eyes widened, he laughed again. “You’re just so clumsy, 2B.”

In a moment of rare vulnerability, 2B stammered. “W-well you’re the one who keeps stepping on my toes.”

This time, it was 2B who spun the two of them around as they continued to step in time with the music, as if to regain her confidence. 2B’s smile had changed from one of warmth to one of teasing and playfulness. The sight, something that was totally unlike 2B, caused 9S’s breath to hitch as he thought of a comeback. “It’s your fault for taking such small steps.”

“You’re ex-YoRHa, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“I wouldn’t expect an ex-YoRHa to step on my toes.” 2B’s stoicism dissipated as she spoke, giggles bubbling up from within her. 9S’s heart swelled and joined her in her laughter.

_ “Towari hatasei mic'hatasei tsufrallai _

_ Otrajain aforeje kurasolda” _

9S wasn’t sure what was happening right then and there. Laughing with 2B, holding her close and… dare he call it flirting? That’s the only word that felt accurately described the exchange. Wait- that would mean 2B was flirting back at him. Right? What did  _ that  _ mean?

Her smile and warm gaze brought him back to what Popola had told him about humans dancing to express their love to someone. Was this what she meant?

He hadn’t the time to ponder the thought- he was here with 2B, holding her close and dancing with her. They were having fun together.  _ Together _ . The word bounced around in his head as he stared at her and took in her movements. Yes, her steps were small and unsure, but she was keeping up with him better than he had been keeping up with Popola his first time. 

2B’s face was calm and relaxed with eyes closed in contentment as she kept up with the rhythm. 9S was taken aback by how beautiful she was- she seemed to positively glow.

“Thank you, 2B.”

“For what?” This time it was she that stepped on his toes, but he didn’t care. 

“This.” Subconsciously, he felt the hand he held on her back lower, stopping just above her waist. The formal waltz position had long since been lost as they moved together, as they just soaked in each other’s presence. He was holding her close to him and she was holding him close to her. It was grossly intimate in a way that normally would have had 9S desperately trying to escape as it dredged up memories of the tower and his desperate need for her. The clones, her arm, how her hand felt caressing his cheek- these were all things he hadn’t been ready to confront. He hadn’t been sure he would  _ ever  _ be ready to confront his ravenous desire for intimacy with her. But here he was, holding her closer than they had ever been and it was wonderful. 

_ “ _ _ Otrajain aforeje kurasol _

_ Towari hatasei mic'hatasei tsufrallai ilja” _

The dreamy, almost ethereal mood of the room, was gone in an instant as 2B yelled out in surprise. In her panic, she clutched onto 9S as she fell backwards, bringing him down with her.

Luckily, 9S was able to stop himself from falling completely on top of her by sticking his arms out to brace himself. To his surprise, his palms hit the familiar soft and fluffy feeling of a mattress. His surprise was replaced by worry when he realized that on her way down, 2B had slammed her head against the wall. Without sitting up, she shifted under him to rub the back of her head as she winced in pain. 

“You okay?” 9S asked in a panic.

“Yeah, it’s just a bump.”

“Oh good.” He sighed in relief. A pregnant pause fell among them as they just stared at each other. It felt like after this one event, things had changed between them but he wasn’t sure how. He was almost tempted to speak the thought aloud, but was afraid of quick and fatal rejection.

“2B, I--” Whatever he was going to say got caught in his throat.

With soft eyes and a small smile, 2B raised a hand and cupped 9S’s cheek. He flinched at the familiar sensation before leaning into her open palm. A barely audible groan escaped his lips as he exhaled heavily through his nose; a breath he hadn’t been aware he had been holding.

“9S…” The music had long since stopped, allowing the tenderness in her voice to fully wash over him.

The deafening sound of metal scraping against stone ended the moment of serenity almost as quickly as it had begun. 9S whipped his head over his shoulder to identify the intruder as the warm feeling of 2B’s touch fell away. 

“Anemone told me--” Jackass’s boisterous voice answered his question before he had even made visual confirmation. “Woah, woah, holy shit! If you two are gonna do  _ that  _ you should lock your door!” Raising her hand to shield her eyes, she snickered.

It was only then that 9S realized the exact position they were in. 2B laying on the bed with her legs dangling over the side while he propped himself up over her. Quickly, he turned his head back to 2B who’s face went bright red as the realization hit her too. In a panicked frenzy, she lifted her head before 9S had time to react, causing their foreheads to collide. Stumbling backwards, 9S rubbed the now sore spot as Jackass’s laughter bellowed around them. 

“You ever heard of knocking?” 9S grumbled, casting a look that asked “are you okay?” to 2B. She nodded at him, rubbing a red spot on her forehead. 

“Oh, I don’t think I’m the one who’s doing the knocking.” Doubling over, Jackass looked like she was about to cry from laughter.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he grumbled at her. “What do you want, Jackass?”

“Right, right,” she took a few breaths to regain her composure, “Anemone wanted to talk to you two about going on another culling expedition soon.”

“Message received.” 2B said in a monotone voice, the softness that 9S had seen just minutes earlier gone. She walked past the two of them, stopping at the doorway. “I’ll go speak with her now. 9S,” she looked past Jackass, right at him with her cold blue eyes, “meet up with us soon.” With that, she walked out into the heart of the resistance camp.

As soon as 2B was out of earshot, Jackass turned to 9S and punched him playfully in the arm. “Congrats on the lay.”

Caught completely off guard, 9S stuttered. “W-what?”

Jackass leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. She stared at him, as if inspecting the integrity of his model type. “You heard me.”

“That is absolutely, 100 percent not what happened--”

“But it’s going to, I’m betting on it.” Smirking, she winked at him. “Combat type models are great lovers y’know.”

“Okay that’s enough.” He stepped forward, pushing Jackass out the door. What she, A2 and Anemone did in their little polycule was of no interest to him. “Thank you for delivering the message to us, we appreciate it.” The words were said through gritted teeth as he attempted to be as sincere as possible. 

“Nothing’s gonna happen if you don’t make the first move!” Jackass informed him, an air of lightness in her voice.

“Goodbye, Jackass.” 9S closed the door behind him. He stood there with his back to it for a moment before sinking down to the floor. Heart pounding in his chest so loud he was sure those outside could hear it as well, he felt himself figuratively shut down. 

What on Earth just happened? Not just with Jackass just now, but everything. The closeness, the tenderness. How 2B looked at him and how she had a smile on her face the entire time. The way she talked so casually and  _ flirted _ , he was positive that’s what it had been now, with him. 

Tilting his head down on his shoulder he sighed shakily as he wrapped his arms around himself in a hug. And god, oh god, her hand had been so soft on his face. So warm and endearing; his motor circuitry could have failed and left him frozen in that position for all of eternity and he would never think to complain. He was hungry, starving, for more. More of that feeling. More of that comfort. More of that tranquility. More of that…

“Love.” 9S unwrapped himself and buried his face into his hands to muffle the sound of the word. A word that he had desperately tried to avoid and a word that he had never spoken aloud in regards to how he felt about 2B. Of course, he had always known that he was deeply and irrefutably enamored with his partner but he had never acted upon the feeling. Partly out of fear of rejection and the possibility that it would ruin their friendship, but primarily due to the sick and twisted desires about her he had struggled, and on occasion  _ still  _ struggled, with.

But those horrific thoughts and feelings had never been acted upon and will never be acted upon. It had been those feelings that had led him to feel guilty that he loved her at all. After today and the way she spoke to him, acted with him, touched him, danced with him… the guilt melted away. 

Dare he even imagine 2B feeling the same way? He shook his head, gritting his teeth, afraid of even entertaining the idea. But.. what if? His mind zipped back to the way 2B had held his cheek and gazed at him. It was so tender and soft, almost contemplative. It was almost like she was trying to- or wanted to- tell him something. 

Oh  _ god.  _ Jackass was right, he hated to admit. It was up to him to say something.

Goddammit, why did it have to be  _ him _ ? 9S knew he was more emotionally competent than 2B but as he practiced saying the words “I love you” aloud, his mouth felt like sandpaper and only dust escaped his lips. If he couldn’t even say it to a room with only himself and his pod in it, how was he ever going to tell it to her face?

“Analysis: unit 9S is unsure how to communicate his feelings to unit 2B. Proposal: unit 9S should ask the androids known as Devola and Popola for assistance.” Pod 153 spoke up, having thoroughly assessed the situation as it unfolded before it. 

“How will they be able to help?” 9S propped his legs up, placing his elbow on his knee and holding his chin as he frowned. 

“Previously, Devola and Popola had spoken about humans using dance as a form of emotional expression.” Pod 153 explained. “It is reasonable to believe they may be able to offer advice.”

How could 9S be so stupid? He had thought about using dance as an expression of love earlier as he danced with 2B. Dancing was something that he was confident with, good at even! If he only had the right song and steps, then maybe…

“Thank you, Pod.” 9S smiled at his support unit as he stood up, a renewed sense of determination flaring within him.

* * *

“He wants me to wear this?” 2B asked, eyeing the dress in front of her incredulously. 

“Yes.” Pod 042 confirmed.

“Why?”

“Unknown.”

“Huh.”

9S could be an enigma to her, sometimes even more so than humans. The dress he had apparently picked out for her was pretty with the black and white contrast of flowers and fabric, she did admit. But she didn’t quite understand  _ why _ . In fact, this whole situation was confusing to the android.

A few weeks after the dance in their room, 9S had excitedly forwarded a set of coordinates to 2B and her pod asking them to meet him there at a certain time on a certain day. “There’s gonna be something there for you,” the email had read, “I know it sounds weird but I want you to wear it! You’ll know it when you see it.” 

With the dress positioned smack in the middle of the room, visible as soon as she entered and sitting in a high intensity sunbeam, the subtlety of the message had the grace of a two-ton sack of bricks. Yes, she knew what he was referring to the moment she laid her eyes on it.

This was far from the only unusual thing she had noticed about 9S as the weeks passed. He had been spending more and more time with the twins, Devola and Popola. It made 2B’s stomach churn in the same way it had when he had offered to help the amnesiac E-type model way back when.

Maybe she should dye her hair red. 

There was also the fact that things seemed strained between the two of them. 9S, who had rarely left her side before, seemed almost eager to leave her by her lonesome. God, had she pushed things too far that day? Was it her fault that 9S was seemingly distancing himself from her?

He had expressed some of his intrusive thoughts to her when he first booted back up, as they worked to remedy their relationship. They were sick, disgusting and disturbing and 2B was shocked when he told her they weren’t even the worst of them. 9S had been sobbing and shaking as he spilled his feelings to her, absolutely terrified she would hate him.

In response, she had wrapped her arms around him and held him until the shaking stopped. It was the closest she had gotten to breaking her own self-imposed rule by almost calling him Nines. 

It had been a few days later where she had broken down and cried to him about all the 9S’ she had killed. She wailed over the 47 times she had ended his life or that he had ended his own life in an attempt to spare her from the pain. The guilt had been raising, festering and bubbling for over three years and it had finally reached a boiling point. This time she was certain he would be the one hating her. How could anyone be forgiven for the heinous acts she had committed?

However, mirroring her own action, 9S had pulled her into an embrace before allowing her to rest her head on her lap. Gently stroking her hair, he had confirmed again and again that he didn’t hate her, had never hated her and would never hate her. “There is nothing in this world that could make me hate you,” he had told her softly as she sniveled and sniffled helplessly.

She smiled sadly at the memory. No, there was no way 9S was beginning to dislike her. Not after all that, not after everything they had been through together. 9S was just being… 9S. Weird, smart and usually an open book. That book was just more shut than usual, making him difficult to read. That’s it.

Having overthought herself into a frenzy, 2B’s attention returned to the dress that 9S had hand picked for her. Maybe he thought she would look good in it? The thought caused her cheeks to turn a pale shade of pink. Even if he did, she struggled to come up with a reason as to why he would want her to put it on out of the blue. 

Oh well, no point in dwelling. 

Very quickly, 2B realized that the dress was extremely cumbersome to put on. Perhaps she had just gotten used to how the resistance clothing fitted on her, but she couldn’t remember her YoRHa uniform ever being so annoying. It took her multiple minutes to figure out the best course of action; does she step into it or try to pull it over her head? She tried both several times, each time becoming more and more convinced that this thing was impossible to wear.

“Pod,” she grumbled as she continued to struggle, “I could use some help.”

“Affirmative.” This attempt was 2B trying to step into the damn thing after spending an amount of time trying to pull it over her head, looking like an idiot all the while. The pod floated down and used its mechanical claws to pull the dress outward, widening the gap for 2B to step into.

To her surprise, this little help worked wonders and she was able to fit comfortably in it. Pod 042 continued to assist her as she pulled it upwards and ruffled it into position. The lack of sleeves, or straps for that matter, made it stay up difficult. 2B took a few steps, somehow not tripping on the hem, making sure that her movements wouldn’t reveal her chest. Okay good, it didn’t. “Hm,” she spread her arms out and spun around. The fabric flittered up, cascading around her in a radiant display of stark blackness. For all the difficulties she had putting it on, wearing it did make her feel nice, if not a bit silly.

“Black box signal of unit 9S detected,” Pod 042 said, “unit 2B should not keep him waiting.”

Taking one last look at how the dress fit her, 2B nodded and exited the room.

The next room was grand and almost imposing. 2B would have stood in awe at how intricate it was, if it weren’t for the fact that 9S was noticeably absent.

“Hello?” She shouted, looking around. This was the room that he had mentioned in the email (another “you’ll know it when you see it” situation), she was sure of it. Where was he? “9S? Are you there?”

“Oh!” His voice sounded out from seemingly nowhere. Caught off guard, 2B instinctively took as much of a defensive stance as the gown she was wearing would let her. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

Down? Confused, 2B’s stance loosened as she gazed upwards. In the ceiling, there was a hole leading to pitch blackness. Ah, that’s where he was.

“It’s not like you to dilly-dally.” 2B remarked, not fighting the smile that crept along her face.

She heard him snort. “Dilly-dally, shilly-shally. You’re just impatient.”

“Well you’re the one who invited me. It’s not polite to keep your guest waiting.” The banter came naturally to her. How long had they been able to just talk to each other? Perhaps it had been a weird feeling at first, but it was just a feeling of lightness now. A feeling she hadn’t felt since they had danced in the resistance camp and had so sorely missed.

“Focus-driven as always,” she could just imagine 9S’s head shaking as he spoke. “Just one more second…” Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the small dark area where 9S was and he yelled in surprise. “Ow!”

“You okay?” God, why was she so worried about him? It’s not like he had cried out in terror or agony.

Laughter drowned out Pod 153’s status condition report. “Yeah, I’m fine. Old human wiring can just be fickle.”

Wiring? Why was he messing with the building’s wiring? 

“Anyway, I’m coming down. Make way!”

It’s a good thing 2B wasn’t standing directly under the hole, because less than a second later, 9S gracefully fell to the floor. His back was to her, but she could still see he was dressed for whatever this occasion was. He was in a black, two piece suit with a collared, long-sleeved blue shirt under the top. From the suit’s top, a piece of cloth draped down to just below his knees, something that reminded her of a weird cape. As he stood and turned, she also noticed a darker blue and white polka-dotted bow tie affixed upon his neck. In a word, 2B surmised, he was adorable. 

When 9S turned around, he went slack jawed. He was right, that dress  _ had  _ been made for 2B. Even if she didn’t have a Lunar Tear in her hair like he had imagined, the gown fit her perfectly. The midsection formed perfectly to her curves (he had been correct about how low it was cut and what it exposed) and it bloomed out around her feet, dark as night speckled by the light of the flowers. She kept her gloves on, but even those matched the dress spectacularly well and only added to how beautiful she was.

“9S?” Her voice brought him back to reality. He had been staring at her.  _ Again. _

“U-uh, sorry ma’am.” The blush on his face deepened the moment he realized what he said. To his surprise, 2B’s face reddened too. 

Bringing her hand to her lips, she giggled. It was an airy, beautiful, sing-songy noise that nearly knocked 9S off his feet. “What did you just call me?”

“Sorry, it’s just that you look…”  _ Beautiful  _ lingered on his tongue, but he was much too afraid to say it. “Really good.” 

“Uh, you too.” Compliments still felt weird coming from 2B, but there was something in the way that she spoke that made 9S know she was being genuine.

They stood there for a few moments, a somewhat awkward silence falling between them. It was impossible to know if their loss of words was due to shyness, uncertainty or aw at what each other was wearing. Perhaps it was a combination of the three.

“So...” 9S swayed back and forth, giving him the appearance that he was on a seafaring vessel. 2B found herself thankful she didn’t suffer from seasickness. He began to fidget with his fingers and his eye contact waned. “God, I had this practiced and everything. But now that you’re here…” Shrugging, he chuckled dryly. 

2B frowned. It wasn’t like 9S to doubt himself, no matter the situation. “We don’t have to--”

“No, no!” Eye contact was made again as he shut her down. “This is something I have to do.” He took a deep breath, balling his fists. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

The conviction in his words caused 2B’s stomach to do flips. “What is it?”

Taking another deep breath, 9S clapped his hands together. On cue, like he and Pod 153 had meticulously practiced with Devola and Popola, banging drums filled the ballroom. Inwardly, he sighed with relief that meddling with the building’s sound system had been successful; he hadn’t had the time to test them before 2B had found him. He felt bad that the sound had clearly caught 2B off guard, judging by how she jumped, but she adjusted quickly. She was made for unexpected situations after all, being a combat model.

The drums continued to thrum in his ears as he continued his speech. “The thing is, whenever I try to tell you it’s almost like my vocalization processes fail.” Gulping, he held out his hand, palm facing the ceiling. “So I want to show you.”

“Show me?”

“I-I want you to dance with me 2B.” His eyes were round and wide, almost afraid as he nearly pleaded with her. “That’s the only way I’ll be able to tell you what’s been on my mind.”

She paused for a moment, utterly confused. What was going on? Was she missing something here? But the way that 9S looked at her, vulnerable and open, pulled at her heartstrings.

The fingers on his outstretched hands twitched. “Please, 2B.” 

Who knows, maybe he wanted to tell her what she had been wanting to tell him.

9S’s face brightened as she reached out and laced her fingers through his. “Of course. I’m listening.”

In a smooth movement, 9S tightened his grip around her hand and pulled her into his chest. She yelled in surprise, causing him to laugh. Initially resting her palms against his chest, her hands traveled upwards until they reached his shoulders. 9S had a loose grip around her waist and held her body close to him.

Another layer of instruments joined the drums, led by something called a harpsichord. “This dance is going to be very different from the one at the resistance camp.” The dark chuckle caught 2B off guard. “I need you to follow my lead and trust me, if that isn’t too much to ask.”

“I already trust you with my life.” It was something that had never been spoken aloud before, but something that 2B felt with utmost certainty. 

The words no sooner left her mouth than the lyrics of the song started up. 2B’s eyes widened as she realized that the lyrics were of a song she had heard and danced to before. 

_ “Kuwata tsunowo vralai _

_ Tsuriji pufuralekai” _

“Good.” In an instant, 9S’s entire demeanor changed. Pressing her to his midsection as hard as he could, his hands glided up the curves of her body. 2B would have shivered under the sensation, but she barely had the chance to register the feeling before he spun her around. 

Her back was to him now, with his hands placed just on the sides of her stomach. Arching her neck, she tried to reach his eyes. “9S--”

“Trust me, 2B.” He breathed the words against her neck and she could have sworn she felt his teeth brush against her skin.

“I do.” 2B repeated.

2B felt herself get spun around yet again, but was stopped before she had made the whole rotation. She was an arm’s length away from 9S, who held her outstretched hand with his own. Swinging around, 9S grabbed 2B’s other hand and began to pull and move her to the beat of the song.

9S hadn’t been lying when he warned her about how different this dance would be to the previous one they had shared. Compared to the slow, deliberate movements 2B had experienced before, the dance she was being led in now was wild and free. She did her best to keep up, luckily an easy task for an android who was created to be on the front lines of combat.

She gasped when 9S suddenly closed the distance between them. Wordlessly, he slipped his arms under hers and with strength she didn’t know he possessed, lifted her into the air. Stumbling backwards, he found his footing as 2B wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. Resettling his hands around her hips, he began to laugh as he twirled her around.

Infected by his jubilee, 2B began to laugh too. God, she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed. Their voices danced together like their owners, creating a melody that drowned out the song. 

Without stopping, 9S lowered 2B to the floor again before immediately pulling her forward into another series of meticulously practiced, intricate, and intimate movements.

_ “Towari hatasei mic'hatasei tsufrallai _

_ Otrajain aforeje kurasolda” _

The whole world could have been collapsing around him, and 9S wouldn’t have noticed nor cared. All that existed right then and there was just him and 2B. 

Time seemed to slow the moment the song had started and he was only cognizant of the passing of minutes by picking up on variations in the instrumentation. Noticing the addition of an acoustic guitar, he vaguely recognized they were about three minutes into the song.

His heart soared whenever he chanced a glance to 2B’s eyes. Her face was wrought and tight with emotions, the most apparent to him being joy. She was  _ enjoying  _ this! Actually enjoying herself! Even if she ended up not understanding the purpose of this entire venture, he could rest easy knowing she at least had fun.

He held both of her hands and stretched out their arms in an almost circular shape. This was the part that Devola had insisted that 2B wouldn’t follow through with. 

“You’re free to do it if you want,” she had said after practice one day “but don’t be upset if 2B doesn’t join you.”

Pushing away the doubt that was creeping its way into his heart, he continued to smile as he swung their arms back and forth. Shimmying and twisting on the heel of his shoes, he was relieved when 2B began to mimic him. Good, that’s part one done.

Now for the scary part. 

Gulping, he let go of 2B’s hands as he continued to twist and move, bending his arms to give himself better balance as he leaned forward slightly. His heart sank when 2B paused and cocked her head to the side.  _ No, no, no… Devola was right _ . Getting ready to go to Plan B, he beamed when understanding suddenly lit 2B’s face. She glanced down, probably looking for her feet, before looking back up again.

Somewhat awkwardly, she began to copy 9S’s movements as best as she could. After just a few seconds, she fell into the rhythm and started to match his twists near perfectly. It was almost as if he was staring into a mirror.

“That’s it!” He praised her. “You’re doing great!”

Without a word, 2B nodded in acknowledgement. Her face was contorted as she concentrated on her movements, seemingly determined to not mess up. Despite this, a wide smile was plastered across her face- a smile that hadn’t disappeared since the music began.

Okay, next step. Taking a step back to widen the gap between the pair, he started to clap to the beat of the song. As expected, 2B responded by doing the same with great gusto. Side-stepping to the right, she didn’t miss a beat as she followed suit. It sort of became a game; 9S would do a movement and 2B would mirror it the best she could. He could even tell she was trying to mimic his complex foot movements- the hem of her dress would puff up every few seconds, as if she was kicking upwards. 

He found himself gawking at how cute the effort she was putting in was.

The rules of their game set up, it was time to start the final act. He took a step forward, then another. 2B, of course, followed his lead. It didn’t take long for the distance between them to be closed. As soon as she was in range, 2B surprised 9S by reaching out and grabbing his hand.

“Okay, now opposite.” The command was quick, but he knew that 2B would not only hear it, but understand it.

The words had no sooner left his mouth when he put 2B’s listening skills to the test. Swaying to the left and putting his weight onto his bent knee, he was elated when she swayed to the right. Straightening back out, they repeated the movement in the opposite direction. He was thoroughly impressed that not only was she keeping up with him, but seemed to genuinely be learning as she did so. Her sense of rhythm had improved considerably and even with the gown’s length taken into consideration, she was adept at keeping up with him. It was almost like she had been taking lessons with Devola and Popola herself.

“Forward and out.” Again, the instruction was quick.

Following 9S’s command, 2B leaned forward in tandem with 9S. Their backs arched as their chests nearly rolled into each other. In how quick and exaggerated the movement was, they leaned forward far enough to nearly place each other’s head on the other’s shoulder before they slinked away. In that brief moment, the pair exchanged glances that 9S wracked his brain to put into words, but was unable to.

Passion and desire were the closest things he could name for the feelings that flitted through his body as they straightened out.

_ “ _ _ Otrajain aforeje kurasol _

_ Towari hatasei mic'hatasei tsufrallai ilja” _

2B felt a thrill she hadn’t felt in a long time and 9S grabbed her hand and guided in the art of dance. Of course, she had expected to enjoy the experience. She always enjoyed whatever weird ventures 9S insisted she accompany him on. But there was something different about this.

9S seemed so… happy. It really was just that simple. He looked so at peace, so invigorated and  _ alive _ . 

She too felt more alive than she had in the past few months. A feeling had been rising in her chest as she and 9S moved together; a feeling that she hadn’t felt since the day 9S woke up.

It was pure, unadulterated bliss. 

9S pulled her close to him, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, the other gripping her hand and pulling it out to the side. Confidently, he guided her in a series of sidesteps and short twirls. As the dance had progressed, his movements had become increasingly complex, especially in his footwork. It was like he was an entirely new person with how confidently he stepped and dictated to her.

2B, who had been pushed to arm’s length away, was pulled back into him. They collided with a thump that nearly knocked the breath out of her. When the stars faded from her vision, 9S’s face was mere inches from her own.

Had it been anyone else, she would have kneed them square in the stomach before catching them in a choke hold. But it was the way 9S looked at her softly with cloudy blue eyes and held her with his arms wrapped around her waist, thumb idly strumming along the fabric of her gown that instantly put her at ease.

The song was still playing loudly, but despite that, 9S stayed put. His face was red from exhaustion and the now audible hum of his black box further signified that he was growing tired. He stopped playing with the fabric of her dress, his hand lingering before it deftly traveled up her back. His fingers were light as feathers as they traced her curves and finely tuned muscles. A chill traveled down her spine as his digits paused at her neck momentarily before circling it and traveling up to her chin. 2B’s breath hitched as he gently gripped her chin and pulled her head down slightly. The smirk he wore was something that had never crossed his face before and, holy shit, it was  _ attractive as hell. _

“Beautiful.” 9S’s voice snapped her out of her trance. Moving his hand from her chin, he lightly brushed his thumb over her lips. “You look beautiful.”

In a surge of confidence, 2B grabbed onto 9S’s wrist and held his hand where it was. The cool, calm look he had wavered as his façade broke, causing her to grin under his touch. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing, but she drew memories of 6O pouring over details of human courtship rituals to the best of her abilities. Noticing that 9S was shaking in her grip, she loosened her hold on him just slightly as she pressed his thumb harder against her lips, puckering them to leave just the faintest of kisses on his thumbprint. 

Thoroughly amused by just how bright his face grew by the simple act, she lowered his hand. “Thank you.” She whispered.

It was almost like 2B could visibly see the thought processes in 9S’s head as he put together what just occurred. From confusion, to wonder to joy, she lost count of how many emotions crossed his face before he lunged forward, grabbed 2B and pulled her back into the dance as if he hadn’t missed a beat.

The little moment that had just passed between them seemed to invigorate the two of them. Before, their eyes would wander as they tried to keep their balance but now the androids’ eyes were locked dead center on each other. Heat filled the air between them, sizzling and crackling as it threatened eruption.

And erupt it did when 9S’s eyes glinted with a mischievous sparkle. Even not knowing a thing about music, 2B could tell the song was coming to an end and as it crescendoed, so did they. She was terrified and nervous, excited and giddy to see what 9S had planned for the grand finale. 

As he had done countless times before, he pulled her in close to him. In the same motion, he wrapped his right hand around 2B’s back, making sure she stood up straight. Before she had even realized what was going on, his left hand was gripping the back of her head. “Hold on to me.” He breathed into her ear. Without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around his back, clawing at his skin in a death grip.

_ “Ullilya kojijichatjukaijai-wa nyame fretsumekri fretsumekri linganmai _

_ Ulreri manja huteharraku-mu harirch lahadachfei lahadachfei shindulhwo” _

Here it was, the moment of truth. 2B was sinking her nails into his skin so deep that even if he did accidentally let her go, she’d probably remain suspended anyway. 

_ No, no. Can’t think like that _ . This was going to work. It had to work. After the countless hours of practice he, Devola and Popola had put into this finisher, it  _ had  _ to work.

Just like he had practiced, 9S placed all his weight onto his left leg as he lunged forward. It felt like his heart was beating out of his chest as he spoke his final instruction to 2B. “Fall.”

Without so much as flinching, 2B followed his guidance and fell. Following the shift of her weight he leaned forward into her fall, catching her before she fell to the floor. Her nails dug deeper still into him, but he found himself unconcerned with the chance that his suit would be ripped.

The music ended in an explosion of instruments that five minutes ago 9S would have been able to name without hesitation. But now as he held 2B, their torsos parallel to each other and breathing synced, he struggled to remember anything in the world that  _ wasn’t  _ 2B. 

“A dip is the most romantic way to end a dance about love, I think.” Had been Popola’s suggestion in the early days, as they worked together to choreograph the entire show. 

Having been hesitant at first, as he gazed at 2B’s reddened face with her wind swept hair and sweat soaked brows, he found himself glad he had agreed to include it.

Seconds passed as they stared at each other, mouths agape and gasping for air. Sweat dripped from the tip of 9S’s nose onto 2B’s face, something that would have mortified him in any other situation. Right now though, it felt like the entire universe was at peace and waiting in bated breath for whatever would happen next.

9S was suddenly assaulted by three overpowering sensations. The first sensation was that of 2B’s hands on his cheeks, pulling his face down towards hers. The second sensation was that of losing balance and falling. The third, and frankly most alarming, sensation was that of her lips on his.

They landed on the wooden floor with a loud bang, the momentum causing 2B’s head to bounce slightly which in turn caused 9S’s nose to awkwardly smoosh against hers. 

It all happened so quickly that 9S had barely the time to register the kiss, let alone enjoy it. Had it even happened at all?

Rolling off from on top of 2B’s chest, he rubbed his nose as he propped himself up on his elbow. “2B, what did—“

2B spread her arms out wide as she laid on the ground, almost as if she was preparing to make a snow angel. Her blissful sigh was what had interrupted 9S- it was a sound he had never quite heard her make before. From his vantage point, he could see that her eyes were closed and she was smiling. She looked absolutely tranquil.

“Message heard loud and clear.”

9S cocked his head to the side. “Huh?”

2B lolled her head to the side, opening her eyes to meet 9S’s. “You said all this was to tell me something, didn’t you?”

He stiffened as he felt his face burn from embarrassment. “Oh… Th-that’s good.” A pause. “Um, so…” God, how was he supposed to continue talking to her after that?

**“** So?”

“D-don’t make me say it!”

2B giggled. “But then how can you make sure I fully understood?”

“You just said you heard it loud and clear!”

“Oh, just humor me.” 2B was sitting up now, her gown puffing up around her waist as she sat. 

“D-do I have to?” He gulped.

“Yes.” She said, straight faced with a curt nod.

Chuckling nervously, 9S ran his fingers through his hair. Well, it was now or never.

“I don’t think I can say it, honestly. That’s the whole reason I danced with you after all.” 2B frowned at this, causing him to smile and laugh dryly again. “But I guess I can ask you a question.”

“A question?” The frown hadn’t left her face.

“Do you feel the same way?”

The frown perked up into a smile. “Now, why would you ask that?”

It was 9S’s turn to frown now. “What do you mean?”

“Was my response not sufficient enough?”

The gears in 9S’s head started to whir as he took in her words. Her response? She hadn’t said anything! For a split second, he thought 2B was messing with him in an attempt to let him down gently. But no, she wasn’t like that. She would just tell him no and they would move on with their lives. The only thing she had done was kiss him—

The final puzzle piece fell into place.

_ Oh. _

“I see.” 9S idly played with his bow tie, more nervous than he had ever been in his life. Now what? Devola and Popola hadn’t coached him on what to do after the confession and in fact, he didn’t even think he’d get this far. But here was 2B, smiling at him with cheeks flushed a powdery pink saying that she felt the same way. 

“Can you do it again?” It was the only thing that he could think to say. He was desperate for more of her touch. 

“Do what again?” 2B asked. 

“Kiss me.” 9S turned and scooted towards her, a wave of confidence overcoming him. He  _ needed _ more. “I want you to kiss me again and show me that you feel the same way.”

2B already had her hands on his face by the time he finished speaking. “I know,” she whispered as she gazed at him longingly, “I just wanted to hear you say it.”

Almost agonizingly slowly, she leaned forward and closed the gap between them. Fully ready for the feeling of her lips this time, 9S pressed into her immediately as he took in her taste. As an android, she tasted mostly of water with the faintest hint of hydraulic oil. It was  _ delicious _ .

2B pulled away for a breath, but 9S barely allowed for it to happen before he crushed their lips back together. He gripped her head, balling her hair into his fists. Grazing her bottom lip with his teeth, he gently bit down on it. The small noise she made at the action, something between a squeak and groan, sent a shiver down his spine.

He began to trail kisses from the corner of her lips to her cheek, hungry to taste even more of her. Her skin was hot, wet, and salty.

His eyes shot open. Wait, that wasn’t right.

Slowly, he drew his head back, his heart sinking at the sight. Tears streamed down her face, staining her cheeks. Her eyes opened at 9S’s retreat, something similar to panic or fear visible in them. “No, don’t stop.” 2B’s plea came out ragged and needy as she lunged forward to kiss him again.

“2B--” 9S forced himself to break this kiss.

“I’m fine.” She cut him off, using the back of her hand to wipe some tears away.

“No, you’re not.” His voice came out sterner than he had wanted it to, causing 2B to flinch. Softening, he continued. “I- I want to keep doing this more than you understand. But not like… not with you like this. I need you to want this.”

To his surprise, 2B laughed. Bringing her hand to his face, she traced his cheek and jaw with her knuckles. “That’s the problem, 9S.” Her smile was sad and distant. “I’ve done…  _ We’ve  _ done this so many times. And every time I lose you.” 9S’s heart broke even further as a sob she had been trying to repress broke free. “Every time we get close like this I have to-- I have to--” She buried her head into his shoulder, unable to finish her sentence. Not knowing what to do, 9S held her, rubbing her back in small circles. 

“You don’t have to be afraid, 2B.” He whispered. “You never have to do that again. We have each other and you don’t have to be afraid.” Somewhat awkwardly, he turned his head and kissed 2B’s hair. “We can be together. YoRHa can’t take me away from you anymore.”

“Kiss me again.” Sitting up, she leaned forward and touched her forehead to 9S’s. “Please, just make me forget about everything.”

“Only if you promise to stop crying.”

She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her hand again. “Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“I’ll stop crying.”

9S couldn’t help but grin. “I know, I just wanted to hear you say it.”

“You’re not funny.” 2B huffed, a smile appearing on her face.

“Shut up.” 

“Make me.” 

9S kissed her with enough force that she almost fell over. They groaned into each other’s mouths as their hands explored each other’s bodies as much as their clothing would allow. An odd, almost primal force took over 9S as he leaned further into her. He wanted her on the floor. He wanted to be on top of her. He wanted her to look at him the same she had in their room back at camp.

Courage pumped through his circuity as he gripped her by the shoulders and pushed her down. He didn’t meet any resistance.

At some point, both of their mouths had opened and they were fully exploring each other. The feeling of 2B’s tongue inside his mouth was a weird, but not totally unpleasant, feeling. Involuntary shivers rocked his body when she would run it along his teeth or his lips as she pulled away for quick breaths. Their tongues would tie together, a tangle that both participants would be unwilling to unknot. 

“...meters away.”

9S didn’t even consciously register whatever it was the pods were trying to relay. It wasn’t important. 2B was important. 2B was the only thing in the world that would ever be important.

He moved away from 2B’s lips to her chin, apparently a somewhat sensitive area if 2B’s giggles and gasps were anything to go by. Light kisses dotted her neck as he continued to work his way down, nibbling at her collarbone. An idea began to take form in his mind as he nipped at her.

“Ah!” She panted as he lightly bit into her shoulder. He paused as her back arched, afraid he had hurt her, but 2B’s gentle hand on his head was reassurance enough. Traveling the length of her shoulder, 9S continued to give her ginger love bites as she squirmed beneath him.

“...teen kilometers away.”

His kisses traveled back across 2B’s collarbone before the love bites continued. 

“Harder.” 9S barely heard the word over the sound of blood rushing to his head, but he was more than happy to oblige. Sinking his teeth deeper into her flesh felt amazing and the way she said his name when he did felt even better. He pulled away, admiring the mark he had left in her skin.

“You’re mine.” He grumbled into her ear in a voice he wasn’t even aware he was capable of. Vile, horrible feelings came rushing forward as he said it. Feelings of possessiveness and grief and hate and lust. They sickened, but invigorated, him to bite her again even harder. She breathed his name again and again and again as he continued.

“9S--” He cut her off by pressing their already bruised and swollen lips back together. 2B clung onto him for dear life as she tried, and failed, to wrap her legs around his torso. 9S found himself hating the gown he had chosen for her in that moment as he was starved for her warmth. She found relief in his hair as she twisted it around her fingers and pulled, causing his head to recoil back and exposing his neck. With some effort, she lifted her head and placed butterfly kisses along it, a feeling that he could only equate to what it must be like to sleep on a cloud. 

“...stiles five kilometers away.”

Their bodies twisted together in ways that logic would say is uncomfortable, but together they took comfort in each other. 9S had gotten off of her, and guided her in pushing him to the floor. It was a weird little thing, he realized. She could have easily just grabbed him from below and barrel rolled herself to be on top. But no, 2B insisted on being gentle, as if she was afraid to hurt him.

She nibbled his earlobe as he realized she probably  _ was  _ afraid of hurting him.

2B’s hair had long since become loose as they got to know each other intimately and her short, moon-silver hair draped down her face as she continued her ministrations. It brushed lightly against 9S’s face, tickling him and causing him to giggle.

The sound made 2B pause. For the first time since they kissed, she found herself really looking at him. His cheeks that were so pink it spread to his ears, his wide and excited eyes, and the boyish yet mature look of want on his face struck 2B particularly hard.

Like 9S, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to say the words aloud but damn, did she love him.

9S reached up and began to caress the bare skin that the gown so generously exposed, taking in every fine detail of her form. He fixated on her shoulder muscles for a bit, digging his nails into her back as her tongue entered his mouth again. From there he blindly trailed his fingers over and down them (pausing momentarily to pay extra attention to the bite marks he had left previously) before feeling how muscular her arms were. 

He was suddenly back at the fight against Eve, with 2B straddling him. Her fingers around his neck, choking the life out of him. Temptation ate away at him as he struggled with the idea of bringing her hands back around his neck, but he decided against it. 2B was already emotionally vulnerable and to remind her of the last time she killed him would probably be too much. Next time, he figured.

His hands found her chest just below her collarbone and suddenly, everything stopped. Inhaling sharply, 2B jerked away from him. Pausing for a nanosecond, she exchanged a glance with 9S before relaxing back to his touch. His fingers curled into hooks against her skin as the pair paused, frozen like statues.

“2B, are you okay with this?”

She nodded, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Yes.”

“Alert: Enemy hostiles approaching.”

Shards of glass and baseball-sized pieces of concrete showered the androids, who hadn’t had the time to process the pods’ final warning.

Acting on instinct, 2B sat up, haphazardly pushing 9S off of her as she did. In an instant, the feelings of passion and heat had regrettably dissipated as the both of them reverted back to what they had been created for- the destruction of the enemy. By the time 9S had scrambled to his feet, 2B was already hunched over in a battle stance, Virtuous Treaty clenched in her hands. It had been so long since the last time they had been caught off guard by the enemy that 9S had forgotten just how honed for battle she was- he hadn’t even seen her summon the weapon from digital space. 

“You will pay for your sins!” The robotic screech of a machine acted as a battle cry as about two dozen of them began to flood the ballroom. “Peace has never been an option!”

The floor rumbled as two common biped goliath models crashed through the ceiling. “2B, move!” 9S shouted as they rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the goliaths. Snarling, he looked up through the holes in the ceiling, counting the medium sized flyers that followed their dropped off cargo.

“How did they find us?” 2B asked, her eyes darting around the room.

“I don’t know!” 9S wracked his brain trying to think of an explanation. His black box hummed in his ears as his neural processes worked into overdrive.

Wait, the black boxes! That must have been it! He turned to tell 2B, but she was already charging towards a medium biped as fast as she could, given the length of her attire. Perhaps it was for the best that she didn’t know that their previous… activities had made their signals more visible to their foes.

A sharp pain hit his backside and the next moment, he smelled burning. Panicking, he realized he had been hit by a targeted laser from a medium biped, causing the cape-like extension of his suit to catch aflame. Ignoring the literal pain in his ass, he tore his over-shirt off and threw it to the ground. Stomping out the flame, he barely had time to dodge out of the way of another medium biped as it attempted to slug him in the head.

Jumping back, he materialized Cruel Oath from Pod 153. The action left him vulnerable for just a moment and he braced himself to take a full-frontal slash from a medium quadruped machine. His eyes clenched shut, he was surprised when pain didn’t come. “9S!” Opening his eyes, he saw 2B standing in front of him, Virtuous Treaty held horizontally in front of her having blocked the claws of the machine. A power struggle initiated between her and the machine, both pushing against each other. 9S was reminded of an old human saying- an unstoppable force going against an immovable object.

Unfortunately for the machine, 2B was far more than an unstoppable force.

With a mighty roar, 2B squared her footing before pushing forward. “Now!” She yelled as the quadruped was forced to reel back onto its hind legs as she shoved it backwards. Without hesitation, 9S rammed Cruel Oath through its torso so hard the tip emerged from the other end. His own yell matched 2B’s as he drew it upward through the machine’s body and head, cutting it almost in half. The red light of its eyes faded as smoke billowed out of the gash before it crashed to the floor.

“Thanks for the assist, 2B!” He shouted at her over the sound of Pod 153’s bullets meeting their marks. Three small stubbies fell to the floor, bullet holes riddling their bodies.

“Less chatter, more fighting.” Ah, that was the 2B he was familiar with. The one he had fallen absolutely head over heels in love with. 

“Die, android scum!” He parried another slow, heavy attack from a medium biped before quickly skewering it. He flinched as it fell to the floor, breaking the wood beneath it. Not that it mattered- the walls, windows and ceiling were already damaged beyond reasonable repair. His heart sinking, 9S realized the ballroom wouldn’t survive this onslaught. 

Not having the time to dwell, he ordered his pod to focus its fire on one of the goliaths, The bullets bounced off the machine’s thick armor, but that didn’t concern 9S. It turned its attention towards 9S and he smirked as it raised its hand. These machines were powerful enough to snap him in half like a toothpick if they so wished, but with that power came easily readable attacks.

Using his hydraulic and agility systems to boost backwards, he extended an arm. “2B, cover me!” Not waiting for a response, he began to hack into the goliath. Hacking space enveloped him as his consciousness transferred into the core of the machine. It was a familiar feeling in a strange way- this was the type of machine he had inhabited for a short time after the battle with Eve, after all.

This wasn’t the time to be nostalgic, especially when his body was vulnerable and he was still surrounded by hostiles. Machines, as he had involuntarily discovered what felt like ages ago, never learned and thus never updated their defensive systems. Within seconds, 9S recognized the barrier type and was able to gracefully avoid the orange and blue firewalls. The outer layer of the core was destroyed and he set his targets on the second layer.

A searing sting caused 9S’s vision to blur before he was dragged out of hacking space just before he collided with the floor. A medium multi-legged machine had shot him at point blank range and was quickly scuttling up to him, blades raised over its head as fire burned in its eyes.

“You killed my brother!” It screamed at him with such intensity 9S could have sworn he saw the thing’s face contort with hatred. “You’re the white haired android that killed my brother! I loved him!”

A growl emitted from 9S as he manipulated the electromagnetic energy around Cruel Oath, spinning it in the air before shooting it forward. “Shut up!” His sword flew in a straight line towards the machine until, with practiced skill, he commanded it to shoot upwards and then jammed it down again. The blade pierced the machine’s head, stopping it in its tracks. 9S forced the sword out through the machine’s face, leaving a gaping gash that exposed wires and a metallic skeleton underneath.

“Machines can’t comprehend what love is.” Cruel Oath flew back to its wielder and he deftly caught it by its hilt. 

An ear splitting scream caused 9S to turn around. To his horror, one the goliaths had somehow managed to get its hands on 2B. Locked in place by sheer terror, he watched helplessly as the goliath spun its arm around and threw 2B into the air. Catching her again, it threw her against the wall, causing a small impact crater. The stonework split and cracked around her, giving it the appearance of a spiderweb. A deafening silence fell upon the ballroom as 2B crumbled to the floor.

“2B!” He screamed her name so hard that he afraid his voice would give out. The second goliath stepped in his way as he jumped to his feet. “Get the hell out of my way!” Blindly, he began to strike the goliath. Cruel Oath clanged against its armor, bouncing back at 9S with every swing.

2B. 2B.  _ 2B!  _ She was the only thing he thought about as he swung his sword. His attacks became so reckless that he accidentally beheaded several small stubbies that had attempted to surround him. “Pod, Decoy!” 

Pod 153 floated down to him, casting a light around him to scan his vitals. “Vitals of 9S confirmed, deploying decoy.” Leaping out of the way, the pod displayed a near exact decoy of him from the antenna on its head. The goliath fell for the trick, as it attempted to stomp down on it.

Knowing that Pod 153 could handle itself, he darted around the large machine towards where 2B had fallen. “Out of my goddamn way!” He slashed down any machines that dared even look at him as he sprinted towards her, leaving a trail of oil and sparking wires in his wake.

“Pod 042, Shield!” 2B’s pod had been hovering above its designated assignment, warding off machines that dare get too close. Hearing 9S’s command, it projected a shield around him and 2B as he kneeled down next to her.

Fighting away tears, he gripped her by her dirty, bruised and bleeding shoulders. “2B! 2B, can you hear me?!” The tears almost started to flow for an entirely different reason when she groaned in response, shifting under his touch.

9S stumbled backwards as 2B slowly rose to her feet. Her face, browned with the oil of the machines she had destroyed with a bright red line trickling down from her nose, was contorted into a wicked snarl. Seemingly unaware of 9S’s presence, she looked down at her gown. “Oh, screw this.” 

The ripping of the fabric was unexpected. 2B, her hands bent into claws, pulled at the dress until it tore. Her legs slowly came into view as the black material was pulled away. It hadn’t been a clean tear, with the dress coming down into raggedy spikes with threads dangling down everywhere. 

With significantly more room to work with, as she had torn it to just above her knees, she drew her blade and leapt out of the protective barrier Pod 042 had provided.

9S, in awe, stood back and watched as she attacked the goliath that had slighted with a ferocity she hadn’t displayed before him in a very long time. Sparks flew as Virtuous Treaty collided against the goliath’s armored hand, sending her flying backwards. Skidding to a halt, she spit a loogie of blood to the floor.

He was mesmerized by her movements. Graceful and calculated, she moved with blistering speeds that somehow didn’t impair her strikes. It was beautiful and captivating, almost as if he was watching a dance.

The words Pod 042 had spoken back in their small room at the resistance camp rang in his ears. “Humans often danced in pairs.”

“Pods, protect myself and 2B! Focus your fire on the flying machine lifeforms!” Both pods acknowledged 9S’s request and began to fire at the small, flying machines.

9S sprang to his feet and sprinted towards 2B and the goliath. With the pods taking care of the lingering small-fry, the large machines were their only remaining obstacles. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the second one reeling up its arm, preparing to crush a distracted 2B into the ground. Stopping on a dime, he hacked into the machine with the sole intention of disabling its motor functions. He didn’t have the time to focus on destroying it outright, but forcing it to stop would be easy enough.

Being familiar with the machine type, he found its motor systems easily and rushed through its network of circuitry.  _ There!  _ Without an attack barrier to guard it, destroying the node was simple. Knowing that it would be a temporary fix to the immediate issue (machines, similar to androids, had nanomachines capable of repairing internal injuries), 9S exited hacking space and returned to his body.

The colossal machine slowed to a stop, the sound of rusted metal scraping against more metal hurting 9S’s ears. Completely immobile now, it posed no threat for the time being. Had 2B not been smashed against a wall, he would have left her to deal with the one she was working on by herself but an overprotective urge told him to assist her. 

Running towards her, they exchanged a nod as he came to a stop next to her.

“How ya doing?” 9S asked with a grin.

She returned the smile. “A lot better now that you’re here.”

“Good, now let’s finish this. You need a bath.”

“Androids don’t need to-- actually you know what, you’re right.” 

“You got the heads on the arms, I’ll get the one on the bottom?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

2B sprang away from him like a woman on a mission towards the machine lifeform heads on the goliath’s arms. Slowly, it raised its other hand in an attempt to swat her away but only hit air as she landed on the shoulder. It began to rotate its body in an attempt to shake her off, stepping back as it did so. 

With the machine thoroughly distracted by 2B’s onslaught, the head at the bottom of the machine’s torso was left unguarded and forgotten. Its red eyes bore holes into 9S as he ran towards it, sword drawn and ready to strike.

“Please don’t, I’m sca--”

The machine lifeform head didn’t have the time to finish its sentence before 9S ran Cruel Oath right through it. 

The metaphorical brain behind the goliath’s ability to move destroyed, it ground to a halt. 9S emerged from underneath its legs as 2B rejoined him on the ground. Sparks flew from where the units that controlled the arms had been, signifying that her mission had been completed. The machine was now entirely helpless. 

Without a word, 9S bent his knees and cupped his hands together in a makeshift platform. In a maneuver they had long since perfected, 2B ran and stepped into his hands before 9S flung her upwards towards the machine’s head. She landed next to it, her heels making a satisfying  _ clink  _ noise on the goliath’s metal shell. Effortlessly, she burrowed Virtuous Treaty into its brain circuitry.

The other goliath was still frozen in place, so 2B hopped over to it with the intent to kill it clear in her eyes. Her sword raised, 9S was suddenly aware of a high pitched beeping emanating from the machine.

“2B!” He screamed, “Get out of there, it’s going to self-destruct!”

“What?” She glanced at its eyes, to see them flashing red instead of the usual steady shade of crimson they are. “Oh shit!”

9S’s eyes raced around, desperate to find an escape route. A machine of this size exploding would bring down the entire building. “Over there! Hurry!” He pointed to a hole in the wall that the machines had made that was large enough for the pair to fit through.

The beeping increased in tempo as 2B landed. She dashed for the hole with 9S and the pods following close behind. 

9S leaped through the hole as the counter behind him reached a fever pitch. There was a split second of silence before a terrible explosion ripped through the air, blowing him further out into the sunlight than he had expected. Landing face first, he was made aware of 2B’s presence by her gentle touch on his back.

“You okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’ve lived through worse.” He sat up, laughing a bit. This was just a scrape compared to the pain he had felt when he ejected himself from his flight unit. 

A loud boom caused them to turn their attention back to the building. Distraught, 9S watched as it went up in flames and crumbled into a pile of bricks and concrete. “No! No, no, no!” He gritted his teeth as agony gripped his heart. It wasn’t supposed to be like this!

“9S, it’s okay, it’s just a building.” 2B tried to comfort him.

“No it’s not!” He turned and accidentally yelled at her. “I was-- I was going to bring you back here and teach you more! It’s where we had our--” He bit his tongue realizing that while it was  _ his  _ first experience with intimacy, it was far from 2B’s first. “It.. It was special to me is all.” His shoulders slumped and he let out a defeated sigh.

Sudden warmth encompassed him and he realized that 2B had wrapped her arms around him. “2B?” He asked.

“I… I’m not very good with emotions,” she spoke softly, “but I know what it’s like to lose something important to me. I know it can hurt. But it’s important to look to the future.”

Sighing, 9S leaned into her embrace. “I know. It’s just a lot.” Today had been exhausting and overwhelming for a variety of reasons and 9S suddenly felt very, very tired. It took effort to not fall asleep where he stood, held protectively by the one most dear to him.

They stood there for some time in silence, watching the fire that had destroyed the ballroom peter out. It was beautiful in a haunting way that 9S couldn’t quite identify.

“...Really sorry about your ass.” 2B mumbled.

Craning his neck up to look at her, 9S raised a brow. “What?”

Coughing awkwardly, 2B avoided his gaze as color began to line her cheeks. “Uh, during the fight I saw you get hit. It looked painful.”

“Yes, I know that,” a laugh was bubbling up from within him as he spoke, “but talk about a way to ruin the mood.”

She frowned. “6O often told me that the best way to make somebody feel better was to attempt a joke or a humorous observation. Was I out of line?”

The laughter erupted from 9S, who broke out from 2B’s embrace to double over. “6O told you that?”

“Y-yes…” 2B uncomfortably rubbed her arm. “As I mentioned before, today was not my first time getting to, ahem, know you.”

“Well she was right!” 9S smiled at her. “That did cheer me up.” He wiped a tear from his eye, grateful to see her smiling back at him. 

“Although,” the somberness had returned to his voice, “it does stink I won’t be able to bring you back to the ballroom. I was really looking forward to teaching you.”

“Is that so?”

9S nodded. “Yeah. Oh well…”

To his surprise, 2B gripped his wrists, moving one hand to her back and raising the other. 9S blinked in confusion, recognizing that she had pulled him into waltz position.

She looked at him, her dirtied face soft and still beautiful. “You don’t need a ballroom to dance, you know.” 

“Well, yeah but--”

She stopped him by placing a firm yet delicate kiss to his lips. Pulling back, she smiled at his beet red face. “Just shut up and dance with me, Nines.”

The way his eyes widened at the name, that simple nickname, made 2B feel soft and fuzzy on the inside. It had taken a long, long time to get to this point- after all, every time she had relented and called him Nines, she had lost him soon after- but everything felt safe now. Everything felt permanent. It was a feeling she wasn’t used to but welcomed, especially if it made 9S look at her with stars in his eyes.

“Y-you called me Nines!”

“Hm, I suppose I did.”

Nearly hopping up and down with excitement, he wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her into a return kiss. She sighed blissfully into his lips before he pulled away. 

Staring into her eyes, he commanded Pod 153. “Pod, play something in 3/4 time.”

“Affirmative.”

The light tones of a piano drifted from the pod’s speaker and 9S instantly recognized it as the song that Emil had given to him.

“This song is really important to me. I think I used to play it for someone I held dear to my heart.” He had explained when he transferred the file to the pod. “Maybe you can do the same one day!”

_ Salvation _ . That’s what Emil had said the song is called.

9S slowly started to guide 2B in the steps and movements he had become so familiar with.

“Okay, so we’ve already done a waltz so you should be pretty good at it--”

“So long as you don’t step on my toes, I’ll be fine.”

“You stepped on my toes a few times too, you know.” 

Her laugh, something that he had heard so many times at this point, was just as breathtaking as it had been the first time. 

“Follow my lead. We’re going to start in small boxes. Just take small steps.”

And the pair began to move. 

He and 2B, maybe even the world, were at peace in the eternal sun as long forgotten lyrics wrapped themselves around the androids.

Salvation. That was a good word for how 9S felt as he held 2B with the knowledge that he would never have to let her go again. 

_ “ _ _ Shul parel moihim _

_ Ar, jaruk noisin _

_ Dah galach dalfouir _

_ Malech foir dir azlad erenj boir” _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Lots of special thanks in this one!
> 
> Thank you to Jetta and SplinterFranxx for going out of their comfort zones to beta a fic for a fandom they don’t participate in.
> 
> Thank you to Ally for giving me a comprehensive breakdown of Song of the Ancients (Fate).
> 
> Thank you to Omo and Amph for telling me the time signature for Kainé (Salvation).
> 
> Thank you to for Conrad for suggesting I put “Really sorry about your ass.” in this fic.
> 
> Thank you to Michelle for suggesting I destroy the ballroom as a way to end the fic.
> 
> For a plethora of reasons, this is the hardest fic I’ve ever written. I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> If anyone is wondering, I pictured a jive-type dance while writing the Song of the Ancients (Fate) dance. In reality, it doesn’t follow any formal ballroom guidelines but of the 4/4 time dances I watched while researching this fic, the jive is what resonated with me the most!
> 
> ...and yes an alternate ending where they don’t get interrupted is coming. Stupid horny robots.


End file.
